As a followup to Ruipro cables, I recently tested some of their shorter lengths.
First of all, the use of a hybrid fiber cable at lengths <20' is a very expensive overkill. However, Ruipro graciously sent me some 2m (6') hybrid fiber cables (Ultra-Slim Active HDMI Optical) to test in a consumer setting. Thank you Ruipro.
It's been established by a lot of users on other forums who have long HDMI runs (>20') that the Ruipro hybrid fiber cable works as expected for 4k HDR (HDMI 2.0b) at long distances without issues. This simple test should demonstrate that the same is true for short lengths.
One of the questions that came up was concerning the reliability of active cables at short lengths (<20'). This is by no means a scientific test with sophisticated equipment, study protocols, etc. It's just a consumer in-home test that may help some who have "short" runs and are considering active fiber for future HTS upgrades. Hybrid fiber cables are not cheap, but if someone is building their HTS, or wants to upgrade their existing cables to thinner, more flexible cables that can hopefully handle future HDMI hardware upgrades, this may be useful.
Test system: LG 65 C8, ATV4k, LG UBK90 UHD/blu-ray player, Xfinity cable STB (legacy, 1080 only), and a Yamaha A-780 receiver. All devices are on their current firmware versions as of this writing. The system is hardwired. Optical cable from tv to receiver for Xfinity HDTV audio only. ARC/CEC disabled so no ARC testing, sorry guys. System is controlled by a Harmony 700 remote and is mounted on a media console.
Xfinity STB is connected directly to the 65 C8 via HDMI because of Deep Color incompatibility with the legacy STB. All other connections go thru the A-780 via HDMI. All current HDMI connections are with 4', BJC Premium High Speed HDMI cables (QR labeled for authenticity).
The Ruipro cables come in a nice looking, padded box, with some velcro ties, connector caps, and foam padding around the connectors. The connectors are thin, made out of metal, and can easily, and snugly, fit into tight places either vertically or horizontally, and are clearly labeled Display and Source. They come with a 2-year warranty.
6' was longer than I needed so all of the cables were looped around a couple of times and held in place with the included velcro ties. The cables were neatly organized, easily accessible, and there was zero strain on the HDMI inputs.
The cables are thoroughly tested by Ruipro to meet all HDMI 2.0b hardware specifications. Certification by an Authorized Testing Center (ATC, HDMI.org) is not possible because there are no standardized certification programs available yet, for active cables, whether they be copper only, fiber, or hybrid fiber. The cables are tested with an ATC authorized testing device, the SL-881 as well as the Mudideo HDR testing device, the Quantum Data 980 and other measuring equipment. eARC/VRR testing is currently in progress but the number of devices that are certified for eARC/VRR is limited at present. Ruipro is working on 48Gbps (HDMI 2.1) cables but HDMI.org has yet to release final CTS specifications for cables, and are just now allowing connectors to be submitted for testing.
Performance was the same as with the Premium High Speed HDMI cables (ATC certified). No issues at all with any source material, format, audio, or device. Hand-shaking seemed to be a bit faster but that could just be subjective. The ATV4k has an HDMI connection test for HDR and that passed easily. The cables are ARC compatible and I would suspect that they will work without issues. They are very well made, very flexible (generous bend radius), easy to install in tight places, and work without issues with the current HDMI hardware specifications. The slimness of the connector ends also makes them ideal for installing within conduits. The only downside that I can see is cost.
